The opening of Spring ISD’s new stadium has been pushed to mid-October due to inclement weather, the district announced in an Aug. 7 news release.

Originally anticipated to open by late August for the start of the 2019 football season, Planet Ford Stadium is part of the district’s $330 million bond approved by voters in November 2016. The project architect is Stantec, and the contractor is Durotech.

“We knew last fall’s heavy rains were going to pose a challenge to the schedule,” Chief Operations Officer Mark Miranda said in a statement. “But over the past seven months, the teams working on the project made a tremendous push to make up for lost time. It’s become clear, though, that there just aren’t enough hours in the day to complete all the finishing work by the end of August.”

As Planet Ford Stadium is a replacement facility for the district’s 51-year-old existing stadium, district officials said the 2019 football season will begin at the Leonard George Stadium until Planet Ford Stadium opens. Leonard George Stadium is located at 19428 I-45, Spring, adjacent to Spring High School.

“We’re going to provide an exciting football experience no matter the venue because we have some of the most talented players in Texas at Spring, Dekaney and Westfield high schools,” Spring ISD Athletics Director Willie Amendola said in a statement. “This delay getting into the new stadium won’t deter our coaches and athletes from having a great season.”

The $38.9 million stadium, located on a 117-acre parcel of land at 23802 Cypresswood Drive, Spring, will feature seating for 8,000 fans, a 19,650-square-foot field house, a 6,300-square-foot community room with a capacity of 300, and the Spring ISD Memorial to honor service members from the Spring area. The stadium will also feature a state-of-the-art turf field, a video scoreboard system, concessions throughout and modern press box amenities.

“We are tremendously excited about the new stadium, and we know that it will be well worth the wait,” Miranda said in a statement. “Our goal is to build a modern facility that will last for generations to come, so we know it’s worth taking the time to get everything right.”